(Photo Credits: Screengrab from Kenneth Felts’ Facebook Account)
Back in 2020, we shared the remarkable story of Kenneth Felts, the then-90-year-old grandfather from Arvada, Colorado, who came out as gay during Pride Month after spending nearly his entire life in the closet. His story resonated with LGBTQ+ people around the world because it proved that it’s never too late to embrace who you are.
In case you missed the story, Mr. Felts never intended to become a viral sensation. While isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic, he began writing his memoir. However, revisiting his past brought back vivid memories of his first love, a man named Phillip, whom he met while working in Long Beach, California, in 1957. “He had blue eyes, a killer smile, and laughed a lot,” Mr. Felts said about Phillip.
The two fell deeply in love but kept their relationship a secret because being openly gay at the time could cost someone their job, reputation, or even their freedom. “The world was not accepting of gay people, especially in the ‘50s when I was a young man,” Mr. Felts said. “It could be deadly to come out. There were sodomy laws. You could go to jail for years, lose your job.”
Overwhelmed by fear and religious guilt, Mr. Felts ended the relationship, returned to Kansas, eventually married a woman, raised a family, and remained closeted for decades.
Who was Phillip? Phillip Jones was the man Kenneth has often described as the love of his life. Even after leaving California, Mr. Felts never forgot him and spent years wondering what had become of him. Following Kenneth’s story going viral in 2020, volunteers helped search for Phillip, only to discover the heartbreaking news that Phillip had died around 2018. Mr. Felts later wrote an emotional tribute to his lost love, saying he wished he could have said goodbye.
After his coming-out story made international headlines, a Colorado man named Johnny Hau read about him and decided to send him an email simply to thank him for sharing his experience. Mr. Hau, who was also struggling with his own journey of coming out, never expected Mr. Felts to reply. The two eventually met for dinner, talked late into the night, and quickly formed a deep connection.
Their relationship blossomed, and on July 8, 2023, Kenneth Felts married Johnny Hau in the backyard of their Arvada home. Mr. Felts was 93 years old at the time, while Mr. Hau said the former’s courage had inspired him to come out to his own friends and family. Their story is a reminder that love can arrive when you least expect it—regardless of age.
Today, Mr. Felts continues to be celebrated as an LGBTQ+ advocate whose story has encouraged countless people to live authentically. His memoir, My Lost Freedom: A Gay Man’s Journey from the Injustice of the 1950s to the Freedom of Today, shares more about his life, his relationship with Phillip, and the path that eventually led him to Mr. Hau. More than anything, Mr. Felts’s journey reminds us that while we can’t rewrite the past, new beginnings are always possible.
Happy Pride Month!
